


bring it on

by rudelove



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Lovers, Frottage, M/M, Monsta X Bingo, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-09-23 10:30:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9651959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudelove/pseuds/rudelove
Summary: Hyungwon is determined to put Yoo Kihyun in his place once and for all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **or;** the hs election au no one really asked for but exists anyway!  
>  many thanks to my sanshine for holding my hand and talking this shit through with me like always, and also for ruining my life by calling hyungwon 'hyungweenie'. 
> 
> [written for the 'school life' square for mx bingo]

It all starts on a generic Thursday afternoon when Yoo Kihyun gets up on the table during their lunch break and announces to the entire cafeteria that he is going to run for class president.

“I can do better.” Hyungwon snorts, turning his attention back to his group of friends once Kihyun’s pretentious speech is over. “What a nerd. He’s acting like he’s about to run for office.”

“How can you do better?” Hoseok asks with a quirked brow, propping his chin on the palm of his hand. “You time at school is spent either eating or sleeping during classes.”

Hyungwon narrows his eyes, says, “I pay attention at class, except for algebra. That one doesn’t count.”

“The only class you pay attention to is bio, and that’s ‘cause you have a thing for the teacher.” Hoseok grins, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

“Look who’s talking.” Hyungwon huffs, popping another cold fry in his mouth and chewing on it lazily.

It’s not that Hyungwon doesn’t like his teacher — that part is true; she’s prettier and nicer than the rest of the teachers at their school, with legs that go on for miles and a soft, soothing voice that makes Hyungwon feel like he's floating on a cloud made out of marshmallows — but there was that time during freshman year, when Hoseok ended up popping a boner because their math teacher called him out for falling asleep in front of the entire class, so it’s not like Hoseok can go around talking shit about what Hyungwon may or may not feel for their teachers.

“Okay, but he's the president of the debate team, the editor _and_ photographer for the school paper, not to mention he volunteers for every charity event this school throws,” Hoseok says after a moment of silence. “How do _you_ plan on competing with that?”

“He's also in the choir.” Changkyun points out. “Meanwhile all you do after school is sleep some more during your book club meetings and write acrostic poems about the change of seasons when Kihyun needs to fill in the blanks in the paper. There's no way you could win.”

Hyungwon is used to being betrayed by Hoseok because it happens almost every day, whether it's just Hoseok skipping out on their standing post-swim practice dates at the diner downtown so he could _hang_ with the team, or dragging Hyungwon along to parties and ditching him so he could talk to some cute girl five minutes in. But it's different with Changkyun. They've been attached at the hip since Changkyun moved here from Boston, the only person Hyungwon would actually consider killing a man for, and to hear him take the side of Hyungwon's arch nemesis makes him feel like he'd been stabbed in the heart.

Affronted, he scoffs, giving Changkyun's ankle a solid kick under the table, and takes little satisfaction in hearing the loud yelp Changkyun lets out, the way his entire face twisting in pain. 

“Okay, I know Hoseok used to have a crush on him when we were in kindergarten,” Hyungwon starts, pointing an accusing finger at Changkyun — "Hey, he looked cute in that onesie!" Hoseok argues — “but you? I expected more from you, Changkyun.”

Changkyun shrugs, grinning, looking the least bit apologetic. “Sorry, bro. I’m just telling it like it is.”

“Whatever.” Hyungwon frowns, stealing the can of coke from Changkyun’s tray out of spite. “I can still do a better job than him.”

“Really?” Hoseok pipes in, looking awfully amused by Hyungwon’s comment. “Then prove it.”

“Prove what?”

Hoseok and Changkyun exchange a look, the smiles on their faces equally terrifying. “Run against him,” Changkyun says. And when Hyungwon looks at him like he's suddenly sprung a second head, “What's a better way to prove you could do a better job than him?”

His friends do have a point. Kihyun is the poster child for the perfect student, with his perfect grades and attendance scores that others can only dream of. He's the ultimate teacher's pet, all faux-politeness and bright, seemingly innocent smiles. But he is also cunning and smart, able to manipulate people and worm his way inside their heads in order to gain their trust and have them follow him blindly, do everything he asks of them in order to get what he wants.  

Still, Hyungwon takes a minute to think this through, to weigh out his options.

On one hand, it would require a lot of work and effort, lots of sleepless nights. It would be difficult, to say the least, thanks to Hyungwon's lack of knowledge or interest about anything school-related. But on the other, the mere thought of Kihyun’s face when Hyungwon ends up winning is enough to get his stomach all tingly with excitement, making him feel giddy. And it's not like Hyungwon doesn't have a chance at winning. He's a fairly popular guy, well liked by many, and he knows what matters the most in the end; no one is going to care much about what he stands for as long as he's cute and charming enough to sway his fellow students into voting for him. It would be challenging and he would need a lot of help from his friends, but Hyungwon could really win this thing.

“Okay.” He decides in the end. “I'll do it.”

 

-

 

There’s an unspoken rule going around school, and that is: don’t get on Yoo Kihyun’s bad side. He might look small, therefore pretty much harmless, but what everyone learns after accidentally doing something to upset him, is that he’s anything _but_ harmless. In fact, he’s terrifying, a conniving asshole that would do just about anything to get his own way. He doesn't care who he hurts in the process, as long as he gets to the top.

He and Hyungwon used to be friends, back in kindergarten, when Hyungwon was young and naive, when he didn’t know any better but to befriend the devil incarnate hiding in the body of a chubby five-year-old boy. They used to have playdates, went to each other’s birthday parties and confided in each other, but then they grew up and started school, started to drift apart — the usual. Fast forward to the beginning of seventh grade, and there is Kihyun sabotaging Hyungwon’s submission for their school’s annual essay contest just so he could win first place, by sneaking into the teacher’s office and tossing the envelope with Hyungwon’s work into the trash.

Kihyun won, while Hyungwon had to stay up all night to rewrite the entire thing from scratch in order to meet the deadline. Hyungwon’s piece didn't even make it in the top ten, and all he got for his efforts was a measly ribbon all of the participants got. To this day, Hyungwon is convinced he would have won if that overly competitive asshole decided to play by the rules for a change.

To get back at him, Hyungwon spread rumors about how Kihyun wet his bed at one of their sleepovers from when they were kids, and things sort of spiraled out of control when Kihyun decided to retaliate as well. Things between them got so bad, they even got into a fight once, threw a few punches back and forth and got themselves three weeks of detention as their punishment.

They haven’t talked to each other since, have grown accustomed to ignoring each other and nodding stiffly when necessary at the most. And while Hyungwon is reasonable enough and aware that it's been years and that he should simply forget all about their past and let it go, running as Kihyun's opponent out of spite would be the best way for Hyungwon to _finally _get his revenge. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that practically landed itself in Hyungwon's lap. He would be an idiot not to take advantage of it.__

 

-

 

Hyungwon fills out the forms after lunch.

It takes Kihyun only two hours to find out and confront him about it.

“What the hell, Chae?” Kihyun demands the second he is within earshot. He's got his best fake smile plastered on, voice casual and friendly enough to make it seem like he's just messing around, but Hyungwon knows him too well to buy into it, able to look past the facade and tell that Kihyun is actually furious on the inside. “What do you think you are doing?”

Hyungwon grins lazily, leaning against the row of seats behind him. “I’m enjoying my free period like everyone else is?” It’s a nice sunny day, probably one of the last for the season, and everyone is gathered outside on the bleachers, soaking up as much sun as they possibly could before their break is over. “What does it look like I'm doing?”

“I heard that you are planning on running for president.” Kihyun goes on, wrinkling his nose, his smile starting to crack around the edges. “Is it true?”

“Yeah,” Hyungwon says, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. “You have a problem with that?”

Kihyun’s jaw tightens visibly, nostrils flaring. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Why? Are you afraid of a little competition?” Hyungwon prompts, tilting his head to the side innocently. “I didn’t think you would get scared so easily.”

“You are going to lose,” Kihyun says flatly. “So don’t bother wasting your time.”

And with that, he leaves, storming down the stairs angrily. People are looking at him curiously as he goes, glancing back at Hyungwon to see what all the commotion is about, already starting to speculate, whispering among themselves.

“We’ll see about that!” Hyungwon calls out after him, ignoring the looks he gets in return.

 

 

-

 

They have a meeting with the principal a few days later, where they go over all of the rules and guidelines about the election, talk about their plans and ideas, things they wish to change if they were to get elected, and by the time they are over, Hyungwon is exhausted.

“I think I pulled a muscle.” he complains to Hoseok during lunch, patting at his sore face with his hands. “Had to pretend I was interested in what that nerd was saying. Can you believe he wants to expand the library and get new school buses? Talk about reaching for the stars.”

Now, while some of Kihyun’s ideas are actually good, like his plans about renovating certain parts of their school and getting more equipment, the rest are just ways for him to build up his resume for college, things not even half of the student body would benefit from; adding more after-school activities and cutting their free period in half, implement new grading systems that would require them to take more tests instead of the opposite, which is what every student in their school except Kihyun wants.

"It's just not logical," Hyungwon says. Hoseok nods solemnly, idly playing with the food in his plate. “How can someone be so unbearable?” Hyungwon continues, rubbing at his temples irritably. He can already feel the headache building up. “I hate him and his stupid face, and his stupid hair, and his stupid nerdy glasses. He is so—”

“Oh my god,” Hoseok says loudly, dropping his fork on his tray. “You like him.”

Hyungwon kicks him under the table, eyes going so wide that for a brief moment he wonders if they could pop right out of their sockets. “What? No, I don’t. You’re an idiot, Hoseok.”

“You do,” Hoseok goes on, lips slowly stretching into a wide, shit-eating grin. “You totally think he’s cute.”

“I don’t like that asshole.” Hyungwon practically shouts and gets a weird look from the girls sitting on the table next to theirs. He flashes them an awkward smile and leans in close over the table, whispering, “he’s my fucking arch nemesis. I do not like him.”

“Yeah, you kinda have a thing for him.” Hoseok beams, as if proud of his tiny brain for coming up with something so stupid and ridiculous. Hyungwon scoffs. Like being an idiot is anything to be proud of. “It all makes sense now. Huh.”

“ _Huh,_  what?” Hyungwon demands. What makes sense?

“You talk about him all the time.” Hoseok starts, holding out a finger.

“No, I don’t.” Hyungwon corrects him.

“You are obsessed with him.” Hoseok continues.

“No, I’m not.” And it’s the truth, really. While it is true that he’s been talking about Kihyun a lot lately — it’s only normal, given the circumstances — to say that he is _obsessed_  would be an overstatement.

“You always look for him when you enter a room.” Hoseok hums, sticking out another finger. “You’ve been doing it a lot lately. You did it just now. I saw it.”

“How else am I supposed to know whether I should stay or run away?” Hyungwon asks. It's a fair question, really.

“And, you also think he’s cute.” Hoseok concludes with a shrug. “Want to hold his hand and kiss his cute little face, as you once called it.”

In Hyungwon’s defense, it happened only once when they were at a party and he was under the influence. He still has fuzzy memories of Kihyun wearing that stupid oversized hoodie, three sizes too big for his small frame, the sleeves covering his hands entirely, cheeks the same shade of pink as his hair, eyes glimmering.

“Not my fault he looks cute with pink hair.” Hyungwon murmurs, but unfortunately, it’s not as quiet as he’d intended it to be. “Shut up, that’s not what I meant.” He cuts Hoseok off before he could open his big mouth and make yet another absurd statement. “I do _not_ like him.”

Sure, Kihyun looks good now that they are grown up and he got rid of that ridiculous bowlcut he’d been sporting for years, cut his hair short and dyed it pink, started to fill out his shirts a little. It was like an overnight transformation; one morning Kihyun came to school looking like _that_ and Hyungwon — as much as it pains him to admit it — hasn’t been able to stop looking since.

Although, maybe it wasn’t a sudden change, as Hyungwon likes to think of it. Maybe it was a long process that Hyungwon simply overlooked due to his determination to keep his distance from Kihyun. And it was easy, it worked out great, when they went their separate ways and ignored each other, pretended like the other one was nothing but a stranger. But now, Kihyun is _everywhere_ Hyungwon looks. It’s probably because of the color of his hair — bubblegum pink is kind of hard to ignore no matter how hard you try — but their school has never felt so small before.

“Whatever helps you sleep better at night.” Hoseok reaches out to give Hyungwon a patronizing pat on his shoulder before he goes back to stuffing his face, smiling to himself the entire time.

It doesn’t help Hyungwon sleep better at night. As the days to the elections roll by, all Hyungwon can do at night is roll around in his bed, tossing and turning restlessly, the idea of losing to Yoo Kihyun torturing him even in his sleep.

 

 

-

 

Changkyun stays over for dinner one day after school and casually mentions about Hyungwon’s plan to run for class president in front of Hyungwon’s parents, which was something he was yet to bring up.

“Sorry.” Changkyun mouths from across the table. “I thought they knew.”

Hyungwon sighs, slumping back in his seat as his parents begin discussing all the possible ways they could help him out with his campaign, and the following day Hyungwon comes home from school to a box filled with pins that have his face on them. There is _VOTE 4 CHAE HYUNGWON_ written in bright red around the edges and his old yearbook photo in the middle in black and white. It’s extremely embarrassing, but this is what Kihyun is also planning on doing, so. If it helps Hyungwon win this thing, then so be it.

He is going to suck it up and do it, put Yoo Kihyun in his place once and for all.  

 

-

 

Getting the required number of signatures for the nomination is easier than Hyungwon thought it would be.

It only takes them one day. Changkyun sets up a table at the school entrance and talks to the students going in and out while Hyungwon, Hoseok and Jooheon go around school, clipboards clutched tightly in their hands, their smiles wide and fake as they hand out pins and flyers to everyone they see.

“Wear something tight.” Hyungwon points at Hoseok before they all run off to their designated spots. “Or maybe, not wear anything at all? Just put on your hoodie and leave it unzipped.”

“What? Why?” Hoseok squeaks, scandalized.

“Because it's gonna help me get me more signatures.” Hyungwon sighs exasperatedly. They’ve had this conversation before, at least fifteen times these past few days alone. “And you know Kihyun is gonna do the same and make Hyunwoo walk around in a tank top.”

“So? Why is Hyunwoo allowed to wear a shirt and I’m not?” Hoseok pouts, sulking in his seat.

“Because he is hotter and more popular than you,” Hyungwon says matter-of-factly. “But you are on the swim team. You have an excuse to walk around half-naked and wet.”

“I can’t believe you are trying to pimp me out for votes.” Hoseok mumbles quietly, lower lip jutting out in a sad pout. It usually manages to sway Hyungwon, but not today, not when his pride is on the line.

“Do you want the school to renovate the locker rooms or not?” Hyungwon quirks a challenging brow.

And it works, because Hoseok huffs indignantly and grabs the clipboard from Hyungwon’s hands, saying, “I hate you, Chae. Worst best friend ever,” as he stalks off to his designated spot.

Kihyun is doing the same, has Minhyuk set up a table in front of the cafeteria while he walks around, Hyunwoo in tow. He has less manpower but he’s already waiting in front of the principal’s office when Hyungwon gets there, bragging about how he ended up getting fifty signatures more than necessary. 

Hyungwon simply rolls his eyes and leans back against the opposite wall, doesn’t look in Kihyun’s direction as they wait, not even once.

“Everything looks great, gentlemen,” their principal says, taking his glasses off and setting them down on his desk. “See you at the assembly this Friday.”

“Good luck, Chae,” Kihyun says once their meeting with the principal is over and they’re about to head back to class.

He is smiling, looking awfully smug and content with himself, a look he gets when he’s plotting something wicked in his head, one that means nothing but trouble for anyone that happens to get in his way.

“Whatever, nerd.” Hyungwon scoffs, giving Kihyun a sideways glance before he leaves.

 

 

-

 

 

If bumping into Kihyun everywhere he went was bad, seeing Kihyun’s stupid grinning face plastered all over the walls at school is absolute torture.

“Who does he think he is?” Hyungwon scoffs as they walk by yet another obnoxious poster for Kihyun’s campaign. “ _A vote for Yoo is a vote for you_.” Hyungwon reads the slogan mockingly, summoning all of his willpower to stop himself from tearing the bright pink signs into shreds. “That's so lame.”

“It sounds good to me.” Gunhee shrugs, an amused little smile dancing at the corners of his lips. “It's… _punny_.”

“What do you know?” Hyungwon glares at his friend. “Puns are dumb.”

Gunhee raises his hands in a defensive manner, backing away slowly. “I'm just saying. You have to come up with something better than ‘Vote for Chae’, and you gotta do it fast if you plan on winning this.”

It's not like Hyungwon isn't aware that he needs to come up with something that sounds more catchy. Slogans are a very important part of a campaign — real or not — but it's not Hyungwon’s fault that nothing rhymes with his last name.

In the end, he decides to change his posters, makes them bigger and brighter and more colorful so they catch people's eyes, but simple enough so that people don’t find them repulsive and tacky. After a very heated debate with Hoseok about whether glitter is the right way to go or not, they settle on using red glitter glue to make Hyungwon’s unrhymable name _pop_ , as Hoseok likes to call it.

It works, at least for a few days until someone decides to act like a preschooler and draw mustaches and blacken Hyungwon’s teeth, scribble ‘weenie’ over the last syllable of his name.

“Hyung _weenie_.” Changkyun points out before he bursts out into a fit of giggles.

Hoseok laughs along, almost topples to the ground, one hand clutching at his stomach and the other wiping at the tears off his face.

“It’s fucking hilarious.” Gunhee wheezes, pausing for a second to catch his breath. “‘Cause it's true!”

Hyungwon is about to tell them all to shut the fuck up when Kihyun and his posse walk by, giggling. “Oh, that’s awful.” Kihyun nods towards the poster where someone — most probably Kihyun himself or one of his minions — drew a huge dick on Hyungwon’s cheek. He’s talking to Minhyuk, his eyebrows drawn together in concern, voice innocent. “Who would do such a thing?”

Hyunwgon ignores him, aware that Kihyun is doing it on purpose just so he could rile him up a day before the assembly, but then Kihyun stops to give Hyungwon an obnoxious smirk over his shoulder before walking away, elbowing Minhyuk as they giggle behind their hands, and Hyungwon snaps.

He might not be a rash person by nature — not taking his decision to run as Kihyun’s opponent into consideration — or an aggressive one for that matter, but he lunges himself at Kihyun without giving his actions a second thought, too blinded by anger to think clearly.

It takes both Hoseok and Gunhee to hold him back from kicking Kihyun’s ass.

“It’s not worth it,” Changkyun says, hand firm on Hyungwon’s shoulder. “You will get disqualified and get a suspension.”

“I know, just—” Hyungwon groans, shaking his friends off. “I know he’s the one who did all of this.”

Hyungwon is sure of it.

 

 

-

 

 

Hyungwon has trouble falling asleep that night.

Hyungwon has always been a decent public speaker, has participated in countless of winning debates for the school’s team in freshman year, so going in front of the entire student body and discussing his plans for the next two years will be a piece of cake. Trying his hardest not to roll his eyes or snarl whenever Kihyun opens his mouth to speak, however, or even restraining himself from punching Kihyun in the face — now _that_ would be a challenge.

Hyungwon goes to bed early but all he can think of are his sabotaged posters at school, the look on Kihyun’s face when he saw Hyungwon’s reaction. It’s tattooed on the back of his eyelids, there every time Hyungwon closes his eyes and tries to fall asleep. So when hours pass and he’s still awake, he grabs his phone from the nightstand and texts Hoseok. _u up?_ , he types quickly, and thankfully he doesn’t have to wait too long for a reply.

 _yeah y_ , reads Hoseok’s text. Hyungwon doesn’t reply, decides to call Hoseok instead.

He picks up immediately, voice hushed as he asks Hyungwon if someone’s dying, “is everything okay?”

“Dude, relax. Everything is fine.” Hyungwon reassures him. “Tell me. Do you still have your key to the school?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Hoseok sounds a little hesitant. “What are you up to now?”

“I need to get inside.” Hyungwon says quickly, worrying on the insides of his cheeks.

“Hyungwon, no,” Hoseok says, “whatever you’re thinking of doing, just forget about it and go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.”

“Just come. You won’t have to do anything, I just need you to give me a ride and the key.” Hyungwon cuts him off. “Be in front of my house in ten, okay?”

“Fine, but I’m not going in with you,” Hoseok says. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

“Great.” Hyungwon grins in triumph. “See you in ten.”

He gets out of bed and gets dressed, all black. He takes his cap, pockets his phone, keys and a sharpie, and sneaks quietly out of the back door so he wouldn’t wake his parents up, waiting for Hoseok to come at the curb in front of his next door neighbour’s house.

“I am going to kill you if we get caught.” Hoseok threatens Hyungwon the second he gets inside his car.

“You won’t get caught.” Hyungwon sighs, taking his cap off to fiddle with his hair. “You’ll wait for me in the car. I’ll be in and out in a second.”

“Fine.” Hoseok huffs, turning around the corner and speeding off towards their school. “But I’m leaving if you aren’t out in five minutes.”

“Deal.”

 

 

-

 

 

Getting inside the school is easy.

As the captain of the swim team, Hoseok has a key to the back entrance of the school so he could stay up late and get in early when he feels like swimming laps before classes, get warmed up before the rest of the team arrives.

Hyungwon sneaks inside, goes from the boys’ locker room through the girls’ and inside the school, running stealthily through the hallways until he reaches the library where the majority of Kihyun’s posters are put up.

He’s planning on taking some of them down and throwing them away, ruining the ones left remaining like Kihyun had done to his, and he’s about to take the marker out of his pocket and do some damage of his own when he notices a dark shadow coming his way.

Hyungwon quickly hides in the shadows behind a row of lockers so he doesn’t get seen as he waits for the person — whoever they are — to leave. It’s dark inside the school, the only source of light coming from the light posts outside, and it takes Hyungwon’s eyes a few seconds to get adjusted to it, to focus on the big black blur that’s slowly approaching him.

At first, he thinks it's the security guard, or one of the teachers, maybe, staying up late to grade some papers or whatever it is they do, and practically shrieks at the top of his lungs when he realizes it’s none other than Yoo fucking Kihyun himself. _Of course,_  Hyungwon thinks. Who else could it be?

“I knew you were the one responsible for ruining my posters!” Hyungwon exclaims as he comes out in plain view, and it would’ve been hilarious, the way Kihyun literally jumps up in the air and clutches at his chest, would have been the funniest thing Hyungwon has ever witnessed if he wasn’t absolutely furious right now. “This is low, Kihyun, even for you.”

It takes Kihyun a moment to compose himself, to get over the initial shock. He brushes away the hair that’s fallen over his forehead, pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a finger, eyes narrowed down into slits. “What are you doing here?” He spits out through clenched teeth.

“Me?” Hyungwon asks in disbelief. “What are _you_ doing here?”

“I came here to—” he starts, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive manner, when the sound of footsteps cuts him off. “ _Fuck._ ” he whispers, frantically looking around in all directions possible for a way out before making a beeline for the janitor’s closet at the end of the hallway that is always left unlocked.

And despite his better judgment, Hyungwon — already out of options — decides to follow after Kihyun, sprinting down the hallway and inside the dark room before he gets caught.

“Go find your own hiding place.” Kihyun hisses as Hyungwon shimmies his way inside, closing the door before the night guard has had the chance to turn around the corner and see them hanging out around the school after hours.

“Shut up,” Hyungwon whispers, slamming a hand over Kihyun’s mouth to stop him from talking, “before he catches us here and gets us both in trouble.”

Kihyun’s eyes are wide, a mix of anger and panic, trying to swat Hyungwon’s hand away by slapping at his wrists, tugging on the sleeves of his hoodie. “Get your filthy paws off of me.” he mumbles, furious when Hyungwon finally drops his hand by his side.

“Why do you always have to be so damn insufferable?” Hyungwon groans exasperatedly, gingerly wiping Kihyun’s spit that’s on his palm off his sweatpants, wincing in disgust.

“Like you are anything better.” Kihyun argues, even angrier now than before, practically fuming.

Hyungwon shakes his head in disbelief. He cranes his neck to look through the window going down the middle of the door and his heart leaps up to his throat when the guard passes right by them, using his flashlight to look around the dark corners, stopping to take a peek through the window curiously before finally moving on.

Hyungwon squeezes up against Kihyun in panic, shoving him against the wall, as far away from the door as he possibly could, pressing his index finger over Kihyun’s lips to keep him silent. “Hush.” he mutters darkly, watching as the guard makes his way down to the end of the hallway and disappears around the corner, probably going to check out the second floor.

Hyungwon lets out a sigh of relief, closing his eyes. “I think we’re good to go,” he says as he turns around, facing Kihyun once again.

His lips brush against Kihyun’s nose and it takes a few seconds for the gears in his brain to start working, for him to realize that he has to pull back so he doesn’t end up slobbering all over Kihyun’s face. “Uh,” he says dumbly, putting an inch of some much needed space between them.

“Uh, yeah.” Kihyun parrots, clearly at a lack of things to say as well.

It’s probably the first for him. Hyungwon can’t remember the last time he’s seen Kihyun so quiet, speechless. Just seconds ago he was telling Hyungwon off for touching him and now he’s standing here, frozen at the spot, his eyes drifting down to Hyungwon’s lips and lingering there before looking Hyungwon in the eye, back down again, and oh.

_Oh._

It’s dark inside but Hyungwon can still make out the rosy tint coloring the apples of Kihyun’s cheeks, the way his lips get wet with spit when he runs his tongue over them, glistening in a way that’s mesmerizing, making it incredibly hard for Hyungwon to look away.

It all happens in the blink of an eye. Hyungwon doesn’t know who leans in first; maybe they did it at the same time and met each other halfway, but they are kissing now, sloppy and hard, urgent. His cap falls to the floor with a dull thud when Kihyun cradles Hyungwon’s face in his hands, and for a second Hyungwon worries about getting caught, but it’s not enough to get him to stop kissing Kihyun.

Kihyun’s hands slide down Hyungwon’s neck and settle on his shoulders, holding onto him tightly as he stands on his tiptoes, head tilted back. He kisses like he has something to prove, like this is another one of their competitions that he _must_ win, his teeth sharp as they sink into Hyungwon’s bottom lip, so close to breaking the skin and drawing out blood.

“ _Fuck._ ” Kihyun murmurs in between the kisses he bruises Hyungwon’s lips with. “I can’t believe we’re—”

Hyungwon can’t do much but grumble out a weak _yeah_ in return. He holds Kihyun pinned to the wall with his hips and doesn’t stop kissing him even though he shouldn’t — he’s aware of that. And he’s about to pull away, he really is, but then Kihyun’s legs spread open and Hyungwon’s leg ends up slotting itself in place between Kihyun’s thighs, and it changes _everything_. 

The moan Kihyun tries to swallow down is quiet, almost inaudible, but it still gets Hyungwon’s blood rushing through his veins, the front of his pants getting a little tight. Kihyun is the first one to pull back, panting against Hyungwon’s parted mouth. 

“We shouldn’t.” He shakes his head, eyes tightly screwed shut. 

“I know.” Hyungwon licks at his lips, tasting Kihyun at the corners.

“I don’t even like you.” Kihyun spits out in horror, finally opening his eyes, trying to stare Hyungwon down, glaring at him like he’s the most repulsive thing he's ever seen. 

Except, it doesn’t work at all. He looks a little dazed, face red and lips swollen, wet. It’s a sight that’s going to haunt Hyungwon for months, years, even, gets his dick twitching uncomfortably against the fabric of his underwear.

“Likewise.” Hyungwon retorts, and gasps in surprise when Kihyun’s little hands fist around the front of his sweatshirt and he yanks Hyungwon back in for another kiss, his hips slowly starting to move down against Hyungwon’s thigh. 

It’s much better now even though it’s rushed, their kisses messy, teeth bumping as they rut against each other, gasping for breath when it gets too much. Kihyun burrows his face against Hyungwon’s neck, dropping his head to rest it on Hyungwon’s shoulder as he jerks his hips against Hyungwon’s, moaning low in his throat. It's one of the hottest things ever, to hear the sounds Kihyun keeps making, to feel the outline of his dick where it's pressing up against Hyungwon's thigh. It's confusing, too, making Hyungwon's head spin as he tries to figure out just what the fuck is going on, because Kihyun is his enemy and people don't go around making out with their enemies like this, do they? 

"Hyungwon." Kihyun mewls, his hot breath fanning against Hyungwon's skin and making his entire body shudder from head to toe. "Don't stop, please."

It's weird, having Kihyun call him by his first name, to hear him beg like that. It makes Hyungwon's heart pound even faster, stomach lurching. 

He doesn't stop, wasn't even planning on it, really. He squeezes down hard on Kihyun's ass and uses his hold to pull Kihyun in, his hips moving at a broken pace, stuttering. It doesn’t last long, at least, not as long as Hyungwon would have wanted it to, and after it’s over and they slump against the wall and slide down to the floor, it takes Hyungwon’s body a few minutes to stop tingling, for his ears to stop buzzing.

“That was…” Kihyun breaks the silence first like he always does. “New.”

Hyungwon snorts, laughing a little in amusement and disbelief. “Completely unexpected.” _And amazing,_  he wants to add but thankfully cuts himself off at the very last moment.

“Yup.” Kihyun nods.

They fall silent again but it’s not awkward, surprisingly enough. Hyungwon checks his phone for the time and frowns when he realizes they’ve been in here for fifteen minutes, scrolling through the fifty texts that Hoseok had sent him threatening to leave, just like he said he would. He makes a move to get up, his knee bumping against Kihyun's in the process, about to tell him they should leave when Kihyun cuts him off.

“I didn’t do that to your posters.” Kihyun admits suddenly as he wipes his glasses clean with his shirt. “I don’t know who it was, but it wasn’t me.”

“Then what are you doing here?” Hyungwon asks. He knows better than to trust whatever Kihyun has to say, but it still makes him feel bad about his own intentions for coming here tonight.

“Tomorrow's speech...” Kihyun rubs sheepishly at his nape. “I forgot it in my locker.”

It takes a moment for Hyungwon's fuzzy brain to get what Kihyun is talking about, remembering all about tomorrow's assembly. They have to make a short speech in front of hundreds of students and talk about their plans for the school, a way for them to officially kick off their campaigns before they could start holding all the debates and meetings with their peers.

Hyungwon snorts, because it's silly.

“I wrote it during our free period.” Kihyun argues, defensive. “I wanted to go over it tonight and fix a few parts, and...” he trails off, waving between their bodies with his hand. “Here we are now.”

He doesn’t bother asking Hyungwon about his reason for coming, and Hyungwon is thankful for it. He’s tired, too worn out from everything that’s happened these past two weeks to argue with Kihyun again. Besides, he’s pretty sure that if they start arguing now they will only end up throwing punches since there’s no one around to keep them in check, so it's for the best, really.

“We should leave,” Hyungwon says after a beat of silence, getting off the floor with a wince. He tugs at the front of his sweatpants, trying to make himself feel more comfortable and less sticky. “I’m sure the guard has left by now.”

Kihyun hums as he follows Hyungwon out of the closet, their footsteps light as they make their way out through the back entrance.  

“What happens tomorrow?” Kihyun asks him as they are about to part ways, wrapping his hand around Hyungwon’s wrist to stop him from leaving.

He’s worrying down on his bottom lip, looking uncertain and a tad shy, a look that’s so uncharacteristic for him, Hyungwon has to pause for a second just to take it all in, memorize every detail about this moment before it’s over. It's subtle and minute, but it's there, enough to get Hyungwon’s stomach to do a little swoop, tingling.

Hyungwon shrugs. Nothing is going to happen tomorrow. Everything will be exactly the same as it’s always been. Just because things got a little out of control earlier that doesn’t mean they are going to start being nicer to each other, let alone repeat whatever the hell this was ever again. Whether they made out tonight or not, it still doesn’t change the facts: they are opponents, rivals, like they’ve been for the past four years or so. Their relationship is not something that can be changed overnight, if ever.

“We give in our best,” Hyungwon says.

Kihyun nods. “Right,” He says firmly, straightening his back and going back to his usual self. “May the best man win,” he says and walks away, hopping on his bike and driving down the street without giving Hyungwon a second glance.

 _Yeah,_  Hyungwon thinks, _may the best man win._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promised myself i would update this sooner but it took me (almost) four (4) months rip i Am So Sorry for being this awful and for taking my time with this.  
> oh and also for not knowing anything about class elections or like... remembering what high school was like in general lol let's just pretend that this actually makes sense thank you
> 
> & the biggest thanksies in the world to my sanshine, my baby snail for pretty much writing this tbh ;; i love you di most mon angellé

Hyungwon is in the middle of editing an article about the food at the cafeteria when a stack of dusty old folders lands on his desk, making the monitor shake and the cup of cold coffee sitting next to his keyboard slosh over the edges upon impact. Hyungwon jumps up in his seat, wincing when he ends up hitting his knee against the desk, raises an eyebrow once he's composed himself, alternating between eyeing the massive pile in front of him and the person responsible for the sudden disruption.

“What is this?” Hyungwon asks irritably, pushing the coffee aside. He grabs a bunch of tissues from the box on the empty desk next to his and dabs at the mess before the liquid could trickle down the edges and get on his clothes, or god forbid do some damage to school property. 

Kihyun smiles innocently at him, tapping his fingers along the edge of Hyungwon’s desk following the beat of the song playing quietly from Jeonghan's computer, his blunt nails hitting the surface in a way that seems to be getting louder and louder with each passing tap. It's really starting to get on Hyungwon's nerves.   

“Suggestions for the next print,” Kihyun says simply, still smiling. 

“Okay,” Hyungwon says, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “But why are you giving this to me? Isn't this what Hyunjung is in charge of?” 

“She is,” Kihyun shrugs, lifting his hand off the desk so he could examine his nails, barely managing to hide the stupid, condescending look on his face. God, Hyungwon hates him so much right now. “But she’s sick and I need this done by the end of the week.” 

Hyungwon looks at the files in front of him once again, grabs the first folder from the top for a closer look. Inside of it are copies of online articles and news clippings going back weeks, months even, and there's about a hundred of them. There is no way Hyungwon — nor Hyunjung, who has been doing this constantly since her freshmen year — could finish this in the next five days. 

He throws the files back on the top, staring Kihyun down. "Give it to someone else. You know I have other shit to do."   

"But I want you to do it," Kihyun says. 

“And what if I don’t want to do it?” Hyungwon argues, pushing the files away towards Kihyun. 

"I’m afraid you don’t have much say in this,” Kihyun shrugs. “Either you do this or you're out. Take your pick." 

Hyungwon grits his teeth in frustration. It is blatantly obvious that literally anyone on their staff could do the job instead of Hyungwon and that Kihyun went to him on purpose, but whether it was with the intent to keep Hyungwon busy and distracted enough from the upcoming election, to put Hyungwon in his place, or to simply piss him off — it doesn't matter because it's working. 

The simple reminder that he, nothing but a mere underling to Kihyun who is the editor of the newspaper is enough to get him seeing red. He is in no position to argue, not right now. If Kihyun kicks him out — which, technically, he is able and won't hesitate to do — then Hyungwon will have no choice but to join the loser clubs since the rest are already filled up. It's too late in the school year for him to switch to a club that would actually look good on his college resume, so he has no other choice but to suck it up and do it, no matter how much he doesn't want to. 

But what upsets Hyungwon the most is Kihyun's attitude. 

It's been four days since they did that... _thing_ together, and this is the first chance they've had to talk to each other without being on a stage surrounded by hundreds of people. 

And it's not like Hyungwon was expecting Kihyun to start treating him nicely or anything. He didn't expect Kihyun to bring him coffee or something to eat or even greet him properly whenever they happened to cross paths — god knows Kihyun's track record of treating Hyungwon like he's worthy of his time isn't the best — but Hyungwon wasn't expecting this, the bossing around and the threats to kick Hyungwon out of the paper. 

Hyungwon is mad, but mostly at himself for ever thinking that whatever happened between them would make Kihyun act nicer, or even acknowledge the events from that night. He really should’ve known better. People don’t change overnight, especially not assholes like Kihyun.  

Hyungwon should simply put all of this behind him and move on, channel all of the anger and frustration he feels into something more productive, erase that night from his mind in its entirety.  

"What about my other assignments?" He asks, not ready to back down yet. 

"I'll have someone else cover for you, don't worry," Kihyun smiles reassuringly, but there's a spark of evil that comes to life in his eyes that tells Hyungwon otherwise, fully aware that Kihyun is rooting for his failure.  

"Fine," Hyungwon spits out eventually, faking a smile as well, not willing to give Kihyun an ounce of the satisfaction he's obviously after. 

"Good boy," Kihyun grins, and with that, he is gone, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose with his forefinger before spinning around on his heels and waltzing over to his own desk, ignoring the glares Hyungwon throws his way for the rest of the day.

 

  

-

 

 

“Are you okay?” Hoseok asks as they are walking home from school one day, going to Hoseok’s place to hang out and hopefully work on their project for bio like they said they would. “You look kinda distracted.”  

“I’m just tired,” Hyungwon waves him off, kicking at a pebble that gets in his way. 

“Does it have anything to do with Kihyun?” Hoseok asks playfully, wiggling his eyebrows the way he does whenever he thinks he’s onto something. 

“What?” Hyungwon asks. “Dude, are you like obsessed with him or something? Stop being so annoying.” 

Hoseok rolls his eyes. “I’ll stop being so annoying when you stop being so weird and tell me what’s going on.” 

“Nothing’s going on,” Hyungwon sighs, shoving his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket. He hates being this transparent more than he hates Hoseok at the moment, which truthfully, is a lot. 

He huffs once more for good measure, gives Hoseok a sideways glance before he caves and tells Hoseok all about what’s been happening at school lately, about the election and the sudden workload Kihyun dumped on him, all of the pressure he brought onto himself because he couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut. 

On Monday, he was told to refile the archive and organize everything in alphabetical order; on Wednesday it was answering all of the _Dear Eunseo_ letters Juyeon gets for her advice column, and picking out a new layout for their website with Minhyuk on Friday, all while doing the work he's actually in charge of. 

And it's not like school itself has been easy either. He has a history quiz tomorrow and a presentation for the human reproductive system that he's yet to start working on, loads of homework for his other classes, as well.  

With the amount of sleep Hyungwon’s been getting lately — or lack thereof — it’s a miracle he hasn’t collapsed yet. 

“That explains a lot,” Hoseok says once Hyungwon’s finished his little rant. “But I still feel like you’re hiding something from me. You’ve been acting so weird lately.” 

“I’m not hiding anything,” Hyungwon says, a little too defensive. “And fuck you, I’m not weird, you are.” 

Hoseok snorts, gives Hyungwon a _look_ , the same one he’s been giving Hyungwon for the past week now. Hyungwon looks away, swallowing around the lump that’s wedged its way at the back of his throat. 

Fuck. They are here again. They have reached _that_ point in the conversation when Hoseok is about to start asking Hyungwon questions to which he doesn’t have the answers to, and quite frankly, doesn’t care much about finding, either.  

“Then why won’t you tell me what happened that night at the school?” Hoseok pouts, and he doesn’t even give Hyungwon a chance to react or tell him to fuck off, just turns around to give Hyungwon a seemingly innocent smile before asking: “What were you and Kihyun doing inside that took so long?”   

“Not this again,” Hyungwon groans. “We’ve been over this already. I told you everything that happened, so what more do you want from me?” 

Hoseok has been asking Hyungwon nonstop about that night at the school ever since the second Hyungwon parted ways with Kihyun and got inside Hoseok’s car. It’s annoying and Hyungwon knew this was bound to get brought up _again_ — he was expecting it, but it still makes him trip over his own feet, staggering as he tries to balance himself. 

The back of his neck is burning hot and itchy, and he rubs at it with his hand, looking down at his sneakers and the cat sleeping on a bench to his left, the way the wind ruffles the hair of the girl walking in front of them — _anywhere_ but Hoseok. 

And it should be easy, to distort the truth and say as little as possible, to act annoyed — which he actually is — his answer rehearsed and ready to go at the tip of his tongue. But it didn't persuade Hoseok the first time he asked Hyungwon about it, nor the fiftieth, and Hyungwon highly doubts it would now.  

So, he goes with his usual response, says they had to hide so they wouldn’t get caught by the night guard, to which Hoseok simply shrugs and says: “You guys looked kinda chummy, though. Are you sure nothing happened?” 

“How would you know?” Hyungwon accuses, trying his best to appear as casual as possible, like his heart isn't starting to beat faster and faster the longer this conversation gets. "You were too busy sending dick pics to whoever it is you are fucking nowadays." 

The smile on Hoseok's face grows bigger, teeth and all. "You're just jealous that I'm getting some and you're not." 

"Yeah," Hyungwon ends up laughing because it really is kind of funny. "Dream on, bro."

 

  

\--

 

 

He feels guilty for the rest of the day, so much that he almost ends up blurting everything out as they are eating in Hoseok's kitchen, hunched over their steaming bowls of ramyun. 

It should be easy to tell Hoseok about it — or Changkyun, for that matter — because they are best friends for a reason; how he and Kihyun made out and how he would do it again despite the overwhelming urge to rip Kihyun's throat out with his teeth. 

It should be easy, but for some reason Hyungwon can't find it in him to go through with it. And it's not just dealing with Hoseok that's stopping him — though the merciless teasing he's going to have to deal with for the rest of his life plays a very big part in the whole thing. 

It's just — It's been over a week and thinking about something other than _that_ has been nearly impossible. He closes his eyes for a second during class and there's the image of Kihyun's face flashing through his head again, his face scrunched up in pleasure and mouth parted open, the press of Kihyun's lips against his almost too real, bringing him back to reality with a jolt.  

He ignores the curious looks he gets from Hoseok and the rest of his classmates in return, sinks back lower in his seat and tries his best to pay attention to what Mr. Kim is saying about 19th century literature or whatever, hoping no one notices the sudden flush of red on his face or the way he can't stop fidgeting in his seat and sit still for more than three minutes at a time. 

He thinks about it at home, too, during dinner with his family (and often has to excuse himself halfway-through before he could pop a boner at the dining table), while he's working on his homework or his plans for the election, late at night and early in the morning, when he's in the shower and his mind is still foggy with sleep and his hand just happens to have a life of its own. 

It's confusing, and Hyungwon doesn't feel like pouring his heart out now when he's feeling so conflicted and can't tell whether he likes Kihyun like _that_ or if he's just being a typical horny teenager.

The problem is — once Hyungwon looks past all of the things that make him so unlikable, of course — Kihyun _is_ attractive, enough for Hyungwon to catch himself staring, like when Kihyun is working at his desk and he’s got his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth. Or when he’s talking to his friends and they say something funny to make him laugh all wide and toothy, the dimples in his cheeks showing. At parties, as well, when he takes off his glasses and slicks his hair up a bit, puts on clothes different than the ones he wears at school. 

And it’s absurd, really. When Hyungwon looks at Kihyun the first thing that comes to mind is that the guy is an asshole, and Hyungwon’s hands itch with the urge to take a swing at him and put him in his place, but then, his stomach flutters and his heart begins to beat a little faster, and everything takes a turn for the worse. 

It’s confusing and talking about it now would only confuse him more. It would make everything real and bigger than it actually is, and the thought of that alone is _terrifying_. 

He needs more time.

 

  

-

 

  

"So," Hoseok begins as they are settling down for lunch, "I heard there's going to be a party this Friday after the game." 

"Hyunwoo's place, right?" Gunhee asks curiously. "Or was it Minhyuk's?" 

"Hyunwoo's," Changkyun says around a mouthful of chips. "He invited all of us." 

"What do you say?" Hoseok gives Hyungwon an expectant look. "Are you coming or what?" 

"No way," Hyungwon snorts. "That's Kihyun's territory. You know he won't let me get inside the house." 

"Screw Kihyun," Hoseok waves him off, pausing to shove a forkful of his salad in his mouth, chewing on it slowly before finishing his thought. "It's Hyunwoo’s house and the place is gonna be packed. You won’t even see him." 

"You could use this as an excuse to socialize more," Changkyun offers helpfully, and Hoseok nods, giving Hyungwon a thumbs up. "Pitch your ideas to people, give them buttons and shit like that." 

And as much as Hyungwon would like to sit this one out at home and play _Overwatch_ instead, his friends do have a point. Going to this party could be very beneficial, and besides, it's not like Hyunwoo is going to kick him out or refuse to let him in just because he's Kihyun's opponent. He's too nice and pure to do something like that. In fact, Hyungwon is pretty sure that Hyunwoo's only flaw is being best friends with Kihyun, but hey — no one is perfect. 

"Okay," Hyungwon agrees in the end. "But I'm leaving the second you guys disappear."

 

  

-

 

 

“Tonight is gonna be fun,” Hyungwon says flatly as they are getting out of Hoseok’s car, stomach rumbling anxiously. 

"Dude, relax. It's gonna be fine," Hoseok gives him a reassuring pat on the back. "It won't be that bad." 

Changkyun chuckles next to him, amused. "Oh, it's going to be amazing. I can't wait to see the look on Kihyun's face when he sees you." 

"Shut up," Hyungwon groans, elbowing Changkyun in the ribs. 

And not even a minute later, there is Kihyun waiting for them at the entrance, pointing straight at Hyungwon. “What are you doing here, Chae? You weren’t invited,” he says the second they are within earshot, looking like a petulant child with his arms crossed over his chest and the deep scowl on his face. 

“Told ya,” Changkyun leans in to whisper in Hyungwon’s ear, bumping their shoulders together. “He looks like he’s about to have a stroke.” 

Hyungwon laughs and he covers his mouth with his hand before any sound could come out, biting on the insides of his cheeks to compose himself. The look on Kihyun’s face really is priceless. 

“ _Kihyun_ ,” Hyunwoo says pointedly, letting out an exasperated sigh, stepping to the side so they could get inside the house. “Everyone was invited.” 

He smiles apologetically at Hyungwon and thanks _all_ of them for coming, and Hyungwon smiles politely in return, nodding at Hyunwoo in gratitude before proceeding to walk right past Kihyun, ignoring him and the indignant huff he lets out on purpose, acting like he doesn't even exist. 

 

 

-

 

  

The party is like every high school party Hyungwon’s been to so far. 

The house is filled with kids from school and a shitload of other people Hyungwon doesn't recognize, the music is too loud and the booze is cheap, but at least Hoseok was right when he said the house would be so packed that Hyungwon wouldn't even see Kihyun. Besides the warm welcome at the beginning of the night, Hyungwon hasn't seen nor heard of him since. 

But all of Hyungwon's plans to talk about his campaign fall through almost immediately. Everyone he tries to talk to is either too drunk to pay attention or a friend of Kihyun's, so he spends the entire night following after his friends, making awkward small talk with Changkyun's friends from the anime club or the rest of the swim team while sipping on his beer, waiting for his chance to sneak out and go back home. 

The opportunity comes sooner than expected, not even twenty minutes later when a freshman bumps into Hoseok and spills her rum and coke all over his shirt. She apologizes through a fit of drunken giggles over her shoulder, but she's already walking away and disappearing into the crowd before Hoseok could respond. 

Hoseok frowns, looking down at himself. He cautiously pulls at the shirt where the wet material is clinging tightly to his front, and Hyungwon doesn't miss the way Changkyun's eyes glaze over, glued to Hoseok's front. 

"I need to get cleaned up!" Hoseok yells over all the noise, making a beeline for the nearest bathroom. 

“You should go with him and help him out,” Hyungwon prompts with a nudge, and Changkyun just scoffs, tells Hyungwon he’s an idiot, but when Hyungwon goes to set his empty cup on the coffee table and comes back, Changkyun is gone and out of sight. 

So, since all of his friends are missing, Hyungwon decides to leave, sending a quick message to their group chat that he’s going home so they wouldn't throw a search party once they sober up and realize he's missing, and he’s halfway down the stairs when he hears someone calling after him. 

Hyungwon turns around, surprised to find Kihyun standing by the front door. He’s holding his drink in one hand, fiddling with the hem of his sweatshirt with the other, looking at Hyungwon with furrowed brows. “Leaving already?” 

“Yes,” Hyungwon says simply. 

"Why?" Kihyun asks. 

"Why do you care?" Hyungwon asks, "Isn't this what you wanted?" 

Kihyun looks down at his cup, sets it aside on the railing. He is drunk but his speech isn't slurred and his face is dusted a pretty shade of pink, flushed from the alcohol. "I never said I wanted you to leave. I just said you weren't invited — there's a difference." 

"So you want me here?" Hyungwon scoffs incredulously, shoving his hands deep down the pockets of his jacket. "You want me to stay?" 

"Do you always have to be this insufferable?" Kihyun groans, running a hand through his hair in frustration. 

And then he sighs, shoulders slumping in defeat. The mood shifts, along with the look in his eyes when he glances at Hyungwon again, uncharacteristically soft, resigned, even. It’s weird, seeing Kihyun like this, and Hyungwon takes a step forward on instinct, preparing himself for battle. 

"Remember that night, when we..." Kihyun starts, the usual bite in his voice gone, pausing for a second to clear his throat, then: "at the school?" 

"What about it?" Hyungwon asks almost too quickly. 

"That was the first time in years we had an actual conversation," Kihyun says softly. There is a beat of silence, during which Hyungwon relaxes, only a little. "I'm tired of fighting all the time. We used to be friends, remember?" 

Hyungwon hesitates for a moment, trying to wrap his brain around this. It seems genuine enough, and a part of him softens up instantaneously, his resolve beginning to crumble, just like that. 

There’s something about Kihyun, about the way he’s looking at Hyungwon and the way his stupid cologne smells, about how pink and soft his lips look; something that manages to make Hyungwon forget so easily about everything that’s happened between them, _something_ that makes him want to reach out and yank Kihyun in for that bruising kiss he’s been thinking about for so long. 

But Hyungwon knows better than this. He snaps out of his drunken daze right on time, going back to the harsh reality where they are Hyungwon and Kihyun who hate each other, Kihyun and Hyungwon the sworn enemies. 

Crossing his arms across his chest, he says, "So, you want us to be friends again?" And when Kihyun opens his mouth to speak, Hyungwon cuts him off before he could get the words out. "We could try being friends again, sure, but that won't get me to drop out of the race. You know that, right?" 

"I — That's _not_ what I meant," Kihyun spits out, harsh and exasperated. 

Suddenly, the door opens and a very drunk Minhyuk staggers outside, draping himself over Kihyun's back almost immediately, propping his chin onto Kihyun's shoulder. 

"Kihyunnie," Minhyuk whines, the fake round glasses he's wearing askew. "I've been looking all over for you!" 

"I'm here," Kihyun says, squirming his way out of Minhyuk's grasp. 

"Ooh, is that Hyungwon?" Minhyuk asks, like he is just realizing Hyungwon is there as well. "Hello, _Hyungweenie_. What are you guys doing out here?" 

"Nothing," Hyungwon says, backing away slowly. "I was just about to leave." 

"Chae!" Kihyun calls after him, but Hyungwon waves him off. 

"Your friend doesn't look so good," he says over his shoulder. "Get him to the bathroom before he throws up all over you."

 

  

-

 

 

He has trouble falling asleep that night as well, and it has nothing to do with the drunken messages Gunhee keeps sending the group chat every twelve seconds. 

It's frustrating, how he can't seem to think of anything other than Kihyun. Fisting his hands in Kihyun's shirt and pulling him in, slamming their lips together for a kiss, right there in front of Hyunwoo’s house where they could be seen by anyone from school. 

The mere thought of being caught like that is equal parts mortifying and electrifying. His stomach tingles, his body shuddering, and he rolls over to lie on his back, slips his hand down the waistband of his briefs and wraps a hand around himself, with his eyes scrunched shut and Kihyun on his mind: 

Kihyun's mouth on his, biting down on his neck and pinning him down. Teasing him until he is desperate enough to put his pride aside and beg, writhing underneath Hyungwon. He wants to mark Kihyun all over and hear the way his breath hitches in his throat when Hyungwon digs his fingers into the bruises afterwards, the way he would rasp out Hyungwon’s name over and over, begging for more. 

He doesn't last very long. 

After cleaning himself up, he grabs his phone from the nightstand and googles _what the hell is wrong with me_ , and once that doesn't help him figure out what the hell is wrong with him, he gives up, huffing as he plops back down on the bed again, muffling the groan he lets out against his pillow. 

Whatever it is, he is _fucked_.

 

 

-

 

 

Things at school after the party are uneventful, for the most part. 

Kihyun goes back to either bossing Hyungwon around or ignoring him, pretending like their conversation at the party never happened. 

They only talk when they have to, and even then they keep their interactions to the bare minimum. It's not surprising, and Hyungwon should've expected this before coming to school on Monday, but a part of him can't help but feel a little disappointed for the second time since all of this started. 

He can't stop following Kihyun with his eyes wherever he goes, always on the lookout for those familiar tufts of bubblegum-pink hair. He's on edge the entire time they happen to be in the same room together, holding his breath like he's waiting for Kihyun to walk up to him and start talking to him about it, about everything that's been happening between them these past few weeks, years even. 

But it doesn't happen.   

The only thing that _does_ happen, however, is Hoseok flicking a piece of lettuce at his face in an attempt to get his attention during lunch. 

"Stop staring," he says and nods at where Kihyun is sitting with Minhyuk, three tables to their left and thankfully, out of earshot. 

"What?" Hyungwon asks, taking him a second to put two and two together and look away. "I wasn't staring. Shut up." 

"Minhyuk told me he saw you with Kihyun at the party." Hoseok says casually, propping his chin on his hands. " _Alone_." 

"Since when do you talk to Minhyuk?" Hyungwon narrows his eyes accusingly. "Have you been fraternizing with the enemy?" 

Hoseok snorts, "No." 

"And what about that hickey?" Hyungwon points at the purple mark on Hoseok's throat, too big to be fully hidden under the collar of his shirt. "Is Minhyuk the one responsible for it?" 

Hoseok chokes on his food, his face turning bright red in only a second, looking down instead of facing Hyungwon. "I hate you," He grumbles eventually, stabbing at the soggy, limp leaves of salad on his plate. "It wasn't him." 

"So who was it?" Hyungwon asks, wiggling his eyebrows. "Is it someone I know?" 

"Dude," Hoseok whines pathetically, pushing his tray aside so he could rest his face on the table, then, very quietly: "I don't wanna talk about it, okay?" 

Hyungwon shakes his head, but goes along with it anyway. "Fine. But you know I'm gonna find out eventually." 

The little whimper that Hoseok lets out in return is wonderful, like music to Hyungwon's ears.

 

  

\--

 

  

A week after the campaigns have officially begun, Sojung announces that she would be joining the race. 

"This is outrageous!" Kihyun exclaims, absolutely furious. "Does the principal know about this?" 

“He does,” Sojung smiles, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. “And he let me join because there’s not much of a deadline, really.” 

"So this isn't against the rules?" Hyungwon eyes her closely, finding it hard to determine whether she’s bluffing or not. 

“Nope,” she says lightly, popping her gum with a loud snap. “There aren’t a lot of rules, anyway. All I had to do was collect the same number of signatures as you guys, and I _did_ , so... “ she trails off, getting up from where she’s been sitting at the edge of Kihyun’s desk all along, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt with her hands. “See you at the debate, boys.” 

She gives them a little wave before she leaves, smiling in triumph as she walks out of the classroom, tall and proud. 

"How did we not know about this?" Kihyun asks once Sojung has disappeared down the hallway. 

For a second, Hyungwon thinks Kihyun is talking to himself, and he's about to leave as well and go back to his own desk when he realizes that there is no one else around that Kihyun could be talking to. The rest of the staff is either out taking a break or in the opposite side of the classroom, nowhere near them. 

"Did you hear anything?" Kihyun continues, looking at Hyungwon with a mix of expectancy and suspicion, watching him closely. 

"No, I had no idea about this until now," Hyungwon shrugs. It takes Kihyun a moment to stop looking at him like he's the lead suspect in a murder investigation, and he lets out a heavy sigh once he realizes that Hyungwon is telling the truth after all. 

"We should work together," Kihyun suggests suddenly. "Go after her instead of each other until she drops out." 

"And after that?" Hyungwon snorts. "We go back to hating each other like nothing happened?" 

Kihyun smiles, the same saccharine sweet smile he gives to people he thinks are idiots and could be easily manipulated, and says, "Who said we have to stop?" He leans over the desk, leaving only a couple of inches of space between them. He reaches out to dust away imaginary dust off Hyungwon's shirt, giving him a patronizing little pat on his shoulder once he's done. "This could be good for us, Chae. Think about it." 

But thinking about it is hard when Kihyun's stupid face is this close to his. The proximity is tempting and the urge to yank Kihyun in for a kiss is back once again, so strong that it's almost overwhelming. 

He manages to fight it, though, opting for swatting Kihyun's hand away and getting up from his seat so that Kihyun is no longer invading his personal space. "Do what you want," he says, disinterested, "as long as it doesn't end with one of us lying dead in a ditch somewhere."

 

  

-

 

  

While it wasn’t surprising that Kihyun reached out to him and proposed they work together, it is surprising to find Sojung leaning against the locker next to his with her hip cocked against the door, clad in her trademark cheerleading uniform and leather jacket combination, smiling when she sees Hyungwon approaching. 

She's obviously there waiting for him, seeing how her locker is nowhere near his, and Hyungwon gives her a curious look, cutting straight to the chase. "Hello, Sojung. What do you want?"

Sojung freezes for a moment, taken off guard. She obviously wasn't expecting Hyungwon to be so straightforward, but she shakes it off in no time, smiling playfully once again. “What makes you think I want something from you?”

“We haven’t talked since chem last year,” Hyungwon points out. “And even then, the most we ever said to each other was ‘hello’ or ‘do you have an extra pen I can borrow’, so…” he trails off, turning around to open his locker. “How may I help you?”

“Okay,” She says. “I want us to work together.” 

“As lab partners?” Hyungwon teases like he doesn’t know what she’s asking of him.

“No,” she snorts, “I'm talking about the election.”

Hyungwon nods, as if processing the information in his head. When he doesn’t say anything for a moment, she starts again, giving him the same proposal Kihyun gave him only days prior. “I think it would be very beneficial for both of us if we did this as a team. I think we can get Kihyun to drop out if we join forces." 

"A team..." Hyungwon trails off, taking the textbooks he no longer needs for the day out of his backpack and throwing them inside his locker. 

"Yes." Sojung nods firmly, looking at him hopefully. "What do you say?" 

"But why are you coming to me and not him?" Hyungwon asks as he closes the door shut, the sound of it reverberating in the empty hallway. 

"Because he's a jerk?" Sojung scoffs incredulously. "And because you seem like a decent guy, so, I'd rather work with you than him." 

Hyungwon sighs, running his hand through his hair to push it off his forehead. "Look, I'm flattered, but I don’t think this is a good idea." 

"Why not?" She asks, puzzled. "Everyone in this school knows you are doing this just to spite him. Don't tell me you wouldn't do anything to see him lose." 

"You know, I really wasn't expecting this from you," Hyungwon says instead of arguing with her about his motives for doing this. The bell rang almost five minutes ago and he really can't afford to get into trouble with his gym teacher, and frankly, that's a conversation he really doesn't want to have, especially with her of all people. "But you obviously don't know what you're doing if you think Kihyun would give up so easily. Or that I would say yes. You've underestimated both of us." 

"Fine," Sojung clears her throat, straightening up. It takes her a bit longer to compose herself this time around, and the smile she musters up is forced, tight around the edges, obviously not used to getting no as an answer. "Well. You know where to find me if you change your mind."

  

 

-

 

  

"So what are you gonna do now?" Changkyun asks, biting on his lower lip. 

Hyungwon sighs, chasing around an ice cube in his glass with a straw. "I don't know. What do you think I should do?" 

"Uhh, yeah," Changkyun mutters, glancing out of the window. 

They are at the diner, sitting at their usual booth waiting for the waitress to bring them their burgers, and Changkyun has been distracted since the second they arrived, is yet to stop fidgeting in his seat. 

Hyungwon balls up the wrapper of his straw and throws it at Changkyun's face to get his attention. "Dude. Are you even listening to me?" 

"What?" Changkyun wrinkles his nose, flicking the wrapper back at Hyungwon. "I'm sorry, I—" he stops when the door of the diner opens and the bells hanging above it jingle to life, frowning seconds later. "Uhm, what were we talking about?" 

"Bro, are you waiting for someone?" Hyungwon asks, poking at Changkyun's foot under the table with his own. "What's going on?" 

"Nothing's going on," Changkyun argues, his voice a little high-pitched. 

“Are you sure?” Hyungwon asks, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Changkyun waves him off. "Hey, wasn’t Hoseok supposed to join us, like an hour ago?" 

"Nah, something came up at practice," Hyungwon shrugs. Changkyun nods, the expression on his face falling visibly. It’s a little weird, but it’s Changkyun; he’s _always_ been kind of weird. "Anyway, what do you think I should do?" Hyungwon repeats his question again, slower this time like he's talking to a child. 

"Dunno," Changkyun offers lamely, scratching at the side of his face. "It's going to be harder now that Sojung is running. I mean, she's the captain of the cheer squad. Every guy at school would sell his soul to the devil if she asked him to. She can really win this thing." 

"Gee, thanks," Hyungwon pouts, slumping back in his seat. 

"I'm just sayin'," Changkyun raises his hands up in defense, "You are too upset right now to admit that I'm right." 

But that's just it — Changkyun _is_ right. 

While Kihyun might have half of the school in his pocket due to blackmail and intimidation, Exy's popularity guarantees her the votes of the other half, maybe even more than that. All Hyungwon has are the few pity votes from his best friends, and at this point he's not even completely sure he has _all_ of them. 

"Whatever you decide to do," Changkyun tells him afterwards, "know that we're here for you, no matter what."

For a fleeting moment, Hyungwon's chest swells with hope, feeling awfully optimistic about the upcoming events for the first time in days, but it doesn't take too long for his stomach to start churning unpleasantly as the dread settles in, deep down in the pits of his belly.

 

 

-

 

 

There’s a minute left to go before they are due on stage for their very first debate, when Kihyun wraps his small hand around Hyungwon’s wrist and pulls him to the side, back in a corner where no one would be able to see them. 

“Uhm. What do you think you're doing?” Hyungwon asks as Kihyun practically pushes him against the nearest wall. 

“Let’s try and keep it civil, okay?” Kihyun says hurriedly, his voice hushed. “This isn’t about us. It’s about _her_ , remember?” 

Kihyun is nervous. It’s evident, in the way he keeps glancing over his shoulder to make sure there is no one around and how he keeps licking at his lips, how clammy his hand feels against Hyungwon’s skin. 

If the circumstances were different and Hyungwon wasn’t feeling like throwing up, he would’ve made fun of Kihyun about it, teased him for not being as perfect as he likes to make people think he is; if it wasn’t even a little reassuring to know that Kihyun feels the same way he does, maybe even worse. 

Still. “And here I thought it was about the school,” Hyungwon jokes, trying to lighten the mood. 

Kihyun looks up at him, face blank as he processes the information. “Shut up,” he mutters eventually. “You know what I mean.” 

“Relax, I’m just messing with you,” Hyungwon says. 

“Right,” Kihyun nods, but it looks like he’s doing it to reassure Hyungwon more than himself. 

He takes a deep breath to calm himself down, releases it slowly. It seems to be working, judging by the way his shoulders slump downwards and the dent of worry in between his eyebrows disappears, but his hand is still on Hyungwon’s wrist, holding onto him tightly. And if the circumstances were different, Hyungwon would’ve slipped his hand into Kihyun’s and laced their fingers together, would’ve given it a reassuring squeeze, his way of saying that everything is going to be okay. 

Instead, Hyungwon nods down at Kihyun’s hand and says, “So, can I have my arm back now, or...?” 

Kihyun’s eyes widen. He blinks once, twice, and then he’s letting go like he’d been burned, practically jumping a few steps backwards. His face is red, and Hyungwon is pretty sure he can see a few beads of sweat rolling down the side of Kihyun’s face, too. 

“I, uh— Sorry,” he apologizes quickly, and he looks like he’s about to say something else when their debate teacher calls out after them, motioning for them to go up on the stage like they’d rehearsed earlier that day. 

Hyungwon wants to tell him that it’s okay, but he doesn’t. His mouth is dry and his tongue seems to have glued itself to the roof of his mouth, the knots in his stomach twisting tighter with each step he takes towards the stage.

He has a sinking feeling this won't go as well as everyone else seems to think it will.

 

 

-

 

 

After a very long talk with the principal, Hyungwon is in the bathroom, washing his face with cold water when the door opens and closes with a slam, the sound of the lock turning loud and sharp in the quiet of the room. 

Hyungwon doesn’t even need to turn around to see who it is. “What do you want?” He asks before Kihyun could speak, cutting him off right from the start. 

“I thought we agreed we would put our differences aside and be civil?” Kihyun asks sharply, the tone of his voice demanding, per usual. “What the fuck was that all about?” 

Hyungwon rolls his eyes. “You were the one who started it, not me. I simply fought back.”

And it's the truth, really. When asked by one of their fellow students whether they thought the free period was really necessary, Kihyun smiled and said, "I think it is very important, especially for those who perform poorly at school because they spend all of their free time at home playing video games," all while looking straight at Hyungwon. "This gives them a chance to do better. Or, enough time to copy someone else's homework right before heading to class."

Things took a _very_ nasty turn after that. One insult led to another, and in the end, it took both the principal and their debate teacher to stop them from jumping at each other. Hyungwon is convinced the videos of their fight are already posted all over Youtube and Facebook.

Hyungwon flicks the water off his hands before he reaches for the paper towel dispenser, but Kihyun steps in front of it on purpose, blocking it with his head as he crosses his arms across his chest like this is some sort of a challenge. " _You_ are the one who started all of this, Chae.” 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Hyungwon scoffs, wiping at the water off his hands on his jeans before lifting his shirt up so he could wipe his face dry with the hem.

Kihyun’s ears turn pink and his mouth parts open in a tiny ‘o’ as his eyes drift down to the strip of skin Hyungwon uncovers by accident, staring at Hyungwon’s stomach for a few seconds until Hyungwon pulls his shirt back down and clears his throat loudly on purpose, snapping Kihyun out of his daze. 

“You really think this is a joke, don’t you?” Kihyun straightens his back ruler-sharp, a vain attempt to make himself appear bigger, more intimidating. It doesn’t really work, at least not on Hyungwon, not anymore.  

“You or this conversation?” Hyungwon quirks an eyebrow in amusement. 

“All of this,” Kihyun waves between them with his hands, “I signed up for this because it’s what I’ve always wanted to do, unlike you, who is only doing this out of spite. So knock it off already, because you aren’t going to win.” 

It pains Hyunwon to admit it, but Kihyun is right — to a certain extent, of course. He _did_ sign up out of spite. In fact, seeing Kihyun lose was the sole reason for getting himself into this mess, but things are different now. 

His parents are proud of him in a way they’ve never been before, absolutely delighted to finally see their son partake and show interest in any kind of school activity that doesn’t involve dancing or free food; not to mention how good this is going to look on his college applications. They can’t really afford to send him off to a nice school without taking out another loan, so Hyungwon needs to get his act together and stop slacking off for good. 

This isn’t about getting his petty revenge anymore, and Hyungwon definitely doesn’t plan on backing off now. He might have had doubts about this when Sojung announced she would be joining them, but he is certain now — he will _not_ back off, no matter how hard this is going to get from now on, and if in the end this makes Kihyun’s life miserable, then so be it. 

But after the stunt Kihyun pulled earlier, Hyungwon doesn’t think he owes Kihyun any explanations. Kihyun doesn’t need to know any of the reasons why he is doing this, as far as Hyungwon is concerned. Instead, he straightens up as well and takes a few steps closer until he’s got Kihyun backed up against the wall, head tilted back so he could look up at Hyungwon properly. 

“You really are scared of having some competition, aren’t you?” He asks slowly. “What’s the problem? Are you just starting to realize that you’re not as great as you thought you were?” 

Kihyun’s eyes narrow down into slits, jaw clenched tightly, a muscle at the side of his face twitching visibly. He is fuming, mouth opening and snapping shut a few times, so when the bell rings before he’s had his chance to retort, Hyungwon scoffs, shaking his head as he leaves, slamming the door shut behind him on his way out. 

And all of the doubts Hyungwon had about Kihyun's intentions that night at the party disappear in an instant, just like that. 

 


End file.
